The market for pocket knives is wide and offers many models that are very different from each other. A pocket knife is a tool that even the least skill person can use every day. Choosing one that perfectly fits your needs and increases your productivity is not an easy task. After trying eight of the best pocket knives we have come to better understand the characteristics that you should look for depending on the use that you are going to give it.
Keep reading this guide that we have prepare for you.
Victorinox Swisschamp Swiss Army Knife
Very complete pocket knife with 33 functions. Some of its accessories are: scissors, nail file, saw to cut wood, corkscrew, 2.5mm screwdriver, and can opener.
Victorinox Hiker Swiss Army Knife
Stainless steel pocket knife with saw and screwdriver among other accessories. It is capable of 13 different functions. Lightweight with 77 grams of weight and cover in ABS.
Pocket knives are, by definition, a general purpose tool. They are made with the idea that they fit in a trouser pocket. You can choose to carry it elsewhere, but the knife is design to fit in your pants pocket for easy access. The pocket knife needs to be portable and accessible to perform different tasks, which is why many manufacturers of hiking pants include a special loop to hang it. Specialize knives for hunting, fishing, kitchen use, masonry, etc., do not carry in a pocket. Therefore, their design limitations are different.
First of all, do you identify yourself as a “practical” person? Looking for creative and self-sufficient solutions to mechanical problems that arise throughout the day? Those who answer yes will use the pocket knife at least once a day. If you are one of those who is proud to carry a multipurpose knife in your pocket with which to solve any problem, be it cutting … screwing … opening a can, or anything specific, without a doubt you should buy one and carry it in your pocket wherever you go .
Victorinox Spartan Swiss Army Knife
Pocket knife with which you can perform 12 different functions. Very light, it only weighs 59 grams and is 91mm long. Its accessories include the corkscrew and the can opener.
As a recommendation of one of the best pocket knives, the Benchmade Mini-Barrage 585 is a great option in terms of design, manufacture and quality of materials.
Pocket knives are easily lost. Many of you have to take into account the cost of buying a new one each time you lose it. If you are one of those who easily lose your car or house keys … surely you have to buy a pocket knife before it has worn out from use. In this case it is better that you buy an inexpensive one and do not spend a lot, since cutting will cut. The difference between the roll steel of a cheaper knife and that of a Benchmade Griptilian 551 is seen with the nake eye since the latter is more resistant to wear.
A cheaper tool will need you to sharpen it more frequently (every three months instead of every four or so). The main difference is in design and manufacturing, which also influences shock resistance making them more durable.If you are one of those who lose the knife frequently, you will not have to worry about whether or not it is affiliate, since you will not have enough time to wear the blade.
If you are not use to carrying a pocket knife, a good trick not to lose it is to carry it with the keys using a key ring or ring. Being use to carrying the keys and never forgetting them, it is much more difficult to lose the knife. A good option to carry the knife with the keys is the Victorinox Handyman Swiss Army Knife . As a security measure, most pocket knives we have test incorporate a safety clip to prevent them from opening regardless of position.
Damascus Knives design with the idea of carrying them have very different shapes design for different uses. The vast majority of knives are purchase for routine use, urban to call it everyday use. However, we focus more on outdoor applications as well. That is why we have focus on the following categories to group different models of pocket knives.
Leatherman Squirt PS4 multipurpose knife
Knife with 9 functions. One of the most striking and useful accessories is pliers. Made of high quality materials such as 420HC steel of the knife. Includes bottle opener and small scissors among other accessories.
This is where we find the largest number of models. They are use in many situations that arise in your day to day. The pocket knife becomes one more utensil that you cannot miss. Being a new habit, the risk of losing it at first is greater, but it will quickly become an essential tool like your mobile that you will always carry with you. By using it regularly you will appreciate that the knife is made with an ergonomic design and good materials. The Benchmade Mini-Barrage 585 is an excellent option that is comfortable to wear. However, if you are somewhat careless and you tend to lose your keys before the edge of your knife wears out, try to buy a model of similar dimensions with similar qualities but that is cheaper. In this way, if you lose it, you will not suffer so much.
Daily use and mountain
Walther Black Tac Tanto hunting knife
High quality pocket knife made of 440C steel. It has Linerlock insurance. Non-slip handle with glass breaker at the lower end. Includes belt clip to always carry it at hand.
If you plan to use the knife in the mountains, weight and volume are characteristics that become more important. It will not be the only tool that you carry, so you must take into account the space it occupies so that it does not bother with the rest of your equipment. However, mountaineers do not pay much attention to the weight of the razor compare to mountaineers and hikers. Our recommendation for mountaineers is the Kershaw Leek pocket knife. It’s ergonomic and highly durable for everyday use, while being compact and lightweight for hiking and climbing.
Mountain use
Perhaps you will keep the knife in your hiking backpack or first aid kit. You will use it to cut cheese, to cut straps, or to repair a cable on time. Actually, the use of this knife is occasional and for very specific tasks. You are going to use it less often. The Gerber STL 2.5 is an excellent field knife. It is small and durable, with a good steel blade, and very inexpensive.
Use for hunting and fishing
Cudeman adult hunting knife 1200
It is a pocket knife made of the highest quality 304 stainless steel enrich with molybdenum and vanadium. The blade is 3mm thick and 2.6cm wide. Made in Albacete (Spain).
If you need to hunt and fish every day while exploring forests and mountains, you should get a more specific knife design for that purpose. Fix blade hunting knives and long slim knives are intend for hunting and fishing. However, many folding pocket knife designs can be use for these purposes with good results. The first thing that you should take into consideration is that you buy the knife you buy, within your comfort, have a simple design that allows you to clean it easily. Remember that you are going to use it constantly every time you eat as little. Multipurpose knives are not a good idea for food issues, since they have dozens of corners where these debris accumulate. The spring-assist opening function is also unnecessary.The simple shape and sharp blade of the Benchmade Griptilian 551 are perfect for that user who goes hunting and fishing in mountain environments.
Daily use and housework
Finally, you can choose to buy a utility knife with a higher quality level. Or if you work in the fields you need to make improvise repairs. It may also be the case that you are a handyman, a practical type who likes to have a small tool always at hand that can solve those small tasks present in the day today. Any simple razor can help you with a large number of tasks. However, sometimes more specialize tools are need. The Victorinox Classic SD multipurpose knife is a very good option to get out of trouble in various everyday situations.
After knowing how and where you are going to use your knife and how much you are willing to spend, it is worth considering the smallest and additional features of a knife. There are literally hundreds of knives on the market. In each of the above categories, there are at least 30 different knives. In each category you will find knives with different prices and characteristics. These other functions can be divide into two main categories. The adaptability of the knife and the smoothness of the anchoring mechanisms.
Spyderco C122GP Tenacious Pocket Knife
Made of 8Cr13Mov stainless steel. Total unfold length of 19.7cm with an 8.6cm blade. Knurl fiberglass and epoxy resin grip to prevent slipping from your hand.
When we talk about the adaptability of a pocket knife, we are talking about the ability of the knife to adapt exactly to your purposes. Some knives are prepare to exchange the blade. High-end knives can replace each of their parts in case of breakage, by the manufacturer or by an expert. The pocket clip on many knives can be remove by the user. In some of those cases the pocket clip can be put on the opposite side, or even the opposite end of the grip. This movable pocket clip allows the user to configure it to their liking to carry it in any pocket while preserving usability.
Pocket Knife Features
All pocket knives have at least one blade that folds into the handle. Virtually all have some kind of spring to keep the blade open, at least under light pressure. Some pocket knives add additional insurance. To close the fix blade of the knife, you must press a small spring while you are folding the blade. This protects the user’s hand from cuts while straining while cutting. Secondary locking blades require two steps to close the blade. . From a usability point of view, this level of protection is somewhat excessive and unnecessary. We have not test knives with secondary locking mechanisms.
We like the simple style locking mechanisms. It is a comfortable, simple and very safe feature. You just press the spring while closing the blade, period.When the blade opens and reaches full length, the spring is actuate to lock the blade from closing. Benchmade knives use their own blade lock safety system, which works really well. In pockets, this may be a feature to consider.
However, having a blade lock when the blade is closed makes part of the manufacturer’s effort to quickly open the blade to no avail.Having a blade lock when the blade is closed means that part of the manufacturer’s effort to quickly open the blade is useless.Having a blade lock when the blade is closed means that part of the manufacturer’s effort to quickly open the blade is useless.
Conclusion
Lastly, consider the value of an assisted opening knife. The assisted opening knives, as the word says, are equipped with springs that help to lock the blade when it reaches its maximum extension. Holding the knife with one hand and with the gesture of the thumb at the base of the blade, the springs will take over from the rest, blocking the blade at the end of the stroke. The vast majority of users appreciate this feature and prefer knives that incorporate this functionality. Blade unfolding for quick and easy tasks is more efficient. The assisted opening mechanism increases the cost of the knife, since its manufacture becomes more complicated. However, the user experience with this little feature is fantastic.
